The Laboratory

VIENNA Getting There: As well as flights to Flughafen Wien, you may want to consider travelling by train. Eurostar to Brussels, then Thalys or DB ICE to Köln, and finally the ÖBB Nightjet to Vienna. Your go-to guide is at  http://www.seat61.com/Austria.htm One bonus of booking a sleeper is access to the First Class lounge at Vienna on arrival, a chance to relax and freshen up before heading to your hotel. In fact, first class travel within Austria is usually only €5 or €10 more than standard, and you can then use the lounges at both ends of your journey - free drinks, food, wifi, and a space to relax. Check prices at both www.bahn.de and www.oebb.at Getting into town: If coming from the airport, the S7 train (€4) and the CAT train (€11) both stop at Wien Mitte, which is an interchange with the U-Bahn system. Alternatively you can get the Railjet train (€4) to the Hauptbahnhof. The Hauptbahnhof is also out of town, on the U1 line, so it is easy to get into the city and chang

NORWAY There are about 13 Norwegian Krone to the pound. Dividing by 13 is annoying, instead you could times by 8 and divide by 100. eg a litre of milk is 22 NOK. Times by eight is roughy 170, so say £1.70 OSLO Getting there The Flytoget train from the airport is 230 NOK one-way to the city centre. Leaves every 10 minutes, takes 20 minutes to get there. https://flytoget.no/en/ Where to stay Park Inn by Radisson, right in the centre, around £120 a night https://www.radissonhotels.com/en-us/hotels/park-inn-oslo There are lots of highly rated hotels in the Thon chain, the largest hotelier in Norway, starting at £100 a night https://www.thonhotels.com/our-hotels/norway/oslo/ We made the mistake of booking the Radisson Blu Park Hotel, which is in Lyseker, a bus and train ride from the centre, and with poor facilities – avoid. Sightseeing When shopping or sightseeing in Oslo you will spend most of your time walking between the National Theatre and the Central Station along Karl Johans Gate. B

Getting to Town The subway system has two lines from the airport to the centre of Munich. Go to the Tourist Office on Level 3 at the airport and buy a Munchen Welcome Card. It is available for 1 or 3 days, 1 or up-to-5 people, and for the inner area or all of the transport system. Visit  www.s-bahn-muenchen.de  for details of transport and  www.munich-touristinfo.de  for a list of discounts at attractions. Note the airport is out of the inner area so you would have to get the total area card! If you had the time, you could travel 2 stops into town on a single ticket, and then use an inner area card. Eating Out For afternoon tea in the classiest surroundings, Cafe Luitpold at Brienner Strasse 11 (near Odeonsplatz) has been open since 1888 and has a fantastic selection of cakes and drinks. When you arrive, choose your cake in the shop before taking your seat, and then give the receipt to the waitress. There's a Palm Garden with regular tea dances.  www.cafe-luitpold.de Sho

New York Getting into Town (and back again) At JFK, ignore the taxi touts. They will lie to you and cheat you. You could take a SuperShuttle bus, but book in advance and only talk to the uniformed guys managing the Ground Transportation Desk. They will drop you to your door for a reasonable rate, and you get an early chance to see some sights on the way. You can also book your return trip at the same time. https://www.supershuttle.com/locations/newyorkcity-jfk-lga/ But why pay over the odds? It’s so easy to get to Brooklyn or Manhattan for the price of one subway ride, plus the airport train. Get on the AirTrain at JFK Terminal 7 towards Howard Beach , this has an additional $5 fare Buy subway ticket (or use MTA pass – see below) Get on the back of the A train here and go through to Broadway Junction. Get off here, go up the stairs, go up the escalator, and over to the L Platform towards Manhattan. At the end of your holiday, you may leave your suitcase at

Getting there: The fastest ferry is from Holyhead with Irish Ferries . The Dublin Swift takes under 2 hours and for a little extra you can get reserved seating in Club Class with free refreshments (think wine, sodas, tea and coffee, pastries, crisps). Tolls : The road from Dublin ferry port to the city centre is a toll road, as are stretches of motorway radiating out from Dublin. Unless you are planning on doing lots of driving in and out, it's easier to pay as you go. This can be done in cash at most tollbooths, except for the ringroad which has to be done online like the London Congestion Charge or Dartmouth Tunnel. DUBLIN Hotel: Radisson Blu St Helen's Hotel, Stillorgan https://www.radissonblu.com/en/sthelenshotel-dublin Despite being only 20 minutes outside the city centre, in a residential district, this has the look and feel of a country house hotel, with extensive gardens, beautifully furnished rooms, a conservatory bar and a nice breakfast offer. Buses 4